The other day at work, a friend/co-worker said to me, "You should straighten your hair." I know that sleek, straight hair is "in", and my curls are not really stylish, but I love my hair just as the Good Lord gave me and have no interest in ruining it in the name of fashion. So, I said this to her, and she backed off really quickly, told me I have very pretty hair, etc.
It's nice to have a polite phrase at my ready for situations like this, and good to know that it can be so effective.